Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium storing program for requesting communication and communicating with a printing apparatus supporting a plurality of communication protocols

Abstract

When communicating with a printing apparatus used for the print function of an application, communication with the printing apparatus is requested of a second layer constituted by an instruction set which is translated in advance to be able to execute the instruction set by a processor, in a first layer constituted by a script instruction set which is translated to be able to execute the script instruction set by the processor when executing the application and is executed. In the second layer, communication with the printing apparatus is performed in accordance with the request.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
 a processor; 
 a storage unit configured to store a program having a layered structure including (1) a first layer constituted by a script instruction set which is translated to be able to execute the script instruction set by the processor when executing an application, and (2) a second layer constituted by an instruction set which is translated in advance to be able to execute the instruction set by the processor, the program executing the application by cooperation between the first layer and the second layer; 
 a request unit configured to, when communicating with a printing apparatus used for a print function of the application, request communication with the printing apparatus of the second layer in the first layer; and 
 a communication unit configured to communicate with the printing apparatus in accordance with the request by the request unit in the second layer, 
 wherein the printing apparatus supports a plurality of communication protocols, and the communication unit communicates with the printing apparatus in accordance with each communication protocol which is supported by the printing apparatus and which corresponds to a request issued by the request unit, and 
 wherein the request unit and the communication unit are implemented by the processor and a memory. 
 
     
     
       2. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication unit obtains information of the printing apparatus from the printing apparatus. 
     
     
       3. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a display unit configured to display, in the first layer, a print setting screen based on the information of the printing apparatus that has been obtained by the communication unit. 
     
     
       4. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication unit connects to the printing apparatus in accordance with a first communication protocol and transmits print target image data to the printing apparatus in accordance with a second protocol. 
     
     
       5. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the communication unit obtains status information of the printing apparatus in accordance with a third communication protocol. 
     
     
       6. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein when a print job includes a print setting and the image data, the communication unit transmits the print setting and the image data to the printing apparatus in accordance with a plurality of different communication protocols. 
     
     
       7. An information processing method to be executed in an information processing apparatus including (a) a processor, and (b) a storage unit configured to store a program having a layered structure including (1) a first layer constituted by a script instruction set which is translated to be able to execute the script instruction set by the processor when executing an application, and (2) a second layer constituted by an instruction set which is translated in advance to be able to execute the instruction set by the processor, the program executing the application by cooperation between the first layer and the second layer, the information processing method comprising:
 a request step of, when communicating with a printing apparatus used for a print function of the application, requesting communication with the printing apparatus of the second layer in the first layer; and 
 a communication step of communicating with the printing apparatus in accordance with the request in the request step in the second layer, 
 wherein the printing apparatus supports a plurality of communication protocols, and the information processing apparatus communicates in the communication step with the printing apparatus in accordance with each communication protocol which is supported by the printing apparatus and which corresponds to a request issued in the request step. 
 
     
     
       8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program having a layered structure including (1) a first layer constituted by a script instruction set which is translated to be able to execute the script instruction set by a processor when executing an application, and (2) a second layer constituted by an instruction set which is translated in advance to be able to execute the instruction set by the processor, the program executing the application by cooperation between the first layer and the second layer, the program causing a computer to:
 when communicating with a printing apparatus used for a print function of the application, request communication with the printing apparatus of the second layer in the first layer; and 
 communicate with the printing apparatus in accordance with the request in the second layer, 
 wherein the printing apparatus supports a plurality of communication protocols, and the computer communicates with the printing apparatus in accordance with each communication protocol which is supported by the printing apparatus and which corresponds to a request issued by the computer. 
 
     
     
       9. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the communication unit obtains function information of the printing apparatus in accordance with a third communication protocol. 
     
     
       10. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the third communication protocol is HTTP. 
     
     
       11. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the third communication protocol is HTTP or GENA. 
     
     
       12. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the first communication protocol is Bonjour or SSDP. 
     
     
       13. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the second communication protocol is MTOM. 
     
     
       14. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the request unit requests of the second layer to obtain information of the printing apparatus, as the communication with the printing apparatus, and
 wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises: 
 (a) an obtaining unit configured to, in the second layer in accordance with a request of the request unit, obtain the information of the printing apparatus from the printing apparatus, convert the obtained information into a user interface format of the first layer, and transmit the converted information to the first layer; and 
 (b) a display control unit configured to, in the first layer, display a print setting screen based on the converted information, and 
 wherein the obtaining unit and the display control unit are implemented by the processor and the memory. 
 
     
     
       15. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the request unit calls a first function from the second layer, and requests of the second layer a connection to the printing apparatus, as the communication with the printing apparatus,
 wherein the communication unit connects to the printing apparatus in accordance with a request of the request unit, converts information of the connection into a format interpretable in the first layer, and transmits the converted information to the first layer, 
 wherein the request unit, after the converted information is transmitted from the second layer, further calls a second function from the second layer, and requests printing of the second layer, and 
 wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises a print control unit configured to, in the second layer when the printing is requested by the first layer, control the printing apparatus to perform printing, and 
 wherein the print control unit is implemented by the processor and the memory. 
 
     
     
       16. The information processing method according to  claim 7 , wherein information of the printing apparatus is obtained from the printing apparatus in the communication step. 
     
     
       17. The information processing method according to  claim 16 , further comprising
 a display step of displaying, in the first layer, a print setting screen based on the information of the printing apparatus that has been obtained in the communication step. 
 
     
     
       18. The information processing method according to  claim 7 , wherein, in the communication step, the printing apparatus is connected to in accordance with a first communication protocol and print target image data is transmitted to the printing apparatus in accordance with a second protocol. 
     
     
       19. The information processing method according to  claim 18 , wherein the status information of the printing apparatus is obtained in the communication step in accordance with a third communication protocol. 
     
     
       20. The information processing method according to  claim 18 , wherein when a print job includes a print setting and the image data, the print setting and the image data is transmitted in the communication step to the printing apparatus in accordance with a plurality of different communication protocols. 
     
     
       21. The information processing method according to  claim 18 , wherein function information of the printing apparatus is obtained in the communication step in accordance with a third communication protocol. 
     
     
       22. The information processing method according to  claim 21 , wherein the third communication protocol is HTTP. 
     
     
       23. The information processing method according to  claim 19 , wherein the third communication protocol is HTTP or GENA. 
     
     
       24. The information processing method according to  claim 18 , wherein the first communication protocol is Bonjour or SSDP. 
     
     
       25. The information processing method according to  claim 18 , wherein the second communication protocol is MTOM. 
     
     
       26. The information processing method according to  claim 7 , wherein, in the request step, it is requested of the second layer to obtain information of the printing apparatus, as the communication with the printing apparatus, and
 wherein the information processing method further comprises: 
 (a) an obtaining step of, in the second layer in accordance with a request of the request unit, obtaining the information of the printing apparatus from the printing apparatus, converting the obtained information into a user interface format of the first layer, and transmitting the converted information to the first layer; and 
 (b) a display control step of, in the first layer, displaying a print setting screen based on the converted information. 
 
     
     
       27. The information processing method according to  claim 7 , wherein, in the request step, a first function is called from the second layer, and a connection to the printing apparatus is requested of the second layer, as the communication with the printing apparatus,
 wherein, in the communication step, the printing apparatus is connected to in accordance with a request in the request step, information of the connection is converted into a format interpretable in the first layer, and the converted information is transmitted to the first layer, and 
 wherein the information processing method further comprises: 
 (a) a second request step of, after the converted information is transmitted from the second layer, further calling a second function from the second layer, and requesting printing of the second layer; and 
 (b) a print control step of, in the second layer when the printing is requested by the first layer, controlling the printing apparatus to perform printing.